A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Studia Ethnographica 4. (Szeged, 2003)

Mód László: Egy szentesi állattartó gazdaság számadásai (1763–1769)

The account books of a livestock farm in Szentes (1763-1769) by LÁSZLÓ MÓD The books examined and presented in this study offer an insight into the life of a farmers' association that existed and operated in Szentes in the 1760s. Including livestock breeders mainly from what was called Felsőpárt, the association was likely to have been formed on a territorial basis. Its main source of income was the financial contributions that stock farmers paid, based on the number of animals held by each. The number of animals raised of course varied from year to year. An accountant stock farmer was responsible for the finances of the association. The association hired shepherds to take care of animals, for which they received a fixed wage. The head herdsman was responsible for the animal livestock. He also organised the work and supervised herd-boys. Farm employees drew annual fixed wages that was comprised of various components. Remuneration was supplemented with a provision for clothing and occasional bonuses. The association also provided winter shelter and fodder for the cattle of the head herdsman and the herd-boys twice during the period of their employment. The construction and maintenance of wells was a regular annual expense for the association. Accounts reveal that stock farmers also attached great importance to toasting each other's health, which usually symbolically sealed some kind of agreement. The sources that were examined fully corroborate the fact that the herding and pasturing of animals required that stock farmers join forces and establish an association that was able to represent their interests. 68